Cry Me A River

For the first time since 1975, the Georgia House of Representatives has no African-Americans who serve as committee chairmen.

Members of the Legislative Black Caucus — all Democrats — on Wednesday declared that they and the people they represent had been disenfranchised. “This is political segregation at its highest,” declared state Rep. Stan Watson of Decatur, the caucus chairman.

Black members in the House compared their plight unfavorably to the Republican-controlled Senate, where two African-American Democrats have won committee chairmanships.

Black lawmakers said they understood they would lose much of their clout when Republicans took over the House this week. “We lost. But they do have one African-American who is a Republican, and they’re excluding him,” said state Rep. David Lucas of Macon.

Willie Talton of Warner Robins, a freshman and the only black Republican in the Legislature, was named vice chairman of the House children and youth committee.